Frame for photographs and pictures



Dec. 22, 1953 G. P. wooDBuRY FRAME FOR PHOTOGRAPHS ANB P'ICTUES Filed May 25. 1950 l N VEN TOR. F M01/ary [W6/e 0l .Smf bmlulez.

f/rraR/vfy Patented Dec. v22, 1953 UNITED sTATEs PATENT :OFFICE Application May 23, 1950, Serial No. 163,725 2 Claims. (Cl. l0-152) This invention relates to a frame for photographs and pictures.

The invention hasrfor an object to provide a novel and improved frame for photographs and pictures having novel provision for detachably retaining the various parts of a frame unit in assembled relation in a simple, economical, and eiilcient manner. Y

With this general object in view, and such othersv as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the frame for photographs and pictures hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. l is a perspective view of a frame unit embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the present assembled frame unit; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the frame unit.

In general the present invention contemplates a frame for photographs or pictures comprising a sheet metal frame .member or body portion shaped to provide a recessed opening in the back into which the glass, photograph, and filler or backing members' are placed. Prior to the present invention it has been the usual practice to fasten the backing member to the body of the frame by escutcheon pins extended through the side walls of the frame into the backing member, or by providing a separate friction ring fitted around the inside of the recessed portion into which the backing member is pressed to frictionally hold the parts together. In accordance with the present invention the frame is constructed to resiliently Vengage the backing members at spaced points around the outer edge thereof to retain the parts in detachably assembled relation in a simple and efficient manner.

eferring now to the drawings, III represents a frame unit which may be of any usual or preferred contour herein shown as being oval shaped and comprising a frame member I2 preferably of sheet metal formed to provide an open recessed portion in the back thereof to receive a sheet of glass I4, picture or photograph I6, and a filler or backing member I8. As herein shown, the recessed portion is dened by rearwardly extended side walls 20 of the frame member forming a rim and by inwardly and slightly rearwardly inclined curved flange portions 22, the side walls 2e extending substantially at right angles to the face of the frame member or being flared outwardly slightly, as illustrated.

The filler or backing member I8 may comprise an inner core member 24 of relatively rigid material such as stiff cardboard and is preferably covered by a decorative material such as felt or pile fabric 26 having a resilient surface, the fabric extending around the back and over the edges of the core member 24V to be adhesively secured around the marginal portions of the innerv face of the core member. The inner face of the backing member may be provided with a relatively rigid sheet of decorative material 28 such as a textile covered sheet of stiff cardboard. In practice the outer face of the backing member I8 may extend a short distance beyond the rear edges of the side walls 20 of the .frame member I2, as illustrated. i

As herein shown, and in accordance with the present invention, the frame member I2 is' provided with a plurality of members herein shown as two spaced rearwardly extending resilient retaining members 3G which may comprise flat metal leaf springs formed integrally with ther-frame member I2, or may be formed separately and welded or brazed to the innerV surface of the side walls 20 ofthe metal frame member, as illustrated. I'he` outer ends of the spring metal retaining members 30 may be rolled inwardly, as shown, to provide inwardly extended cylindrical retaining portions or hooks 32. y

The backing member I8 is preferably of a size such as to fit snugly into the recessed portion between the side walls 20 of the frame member, the pile fabric or other resilient covering material 26 being compressed slightly to frictionally engage the side walls of the frame, and the resilient retaining members 30 are arranged to spring over the adjacent portions of the edge of the backing member, the dat portion of the leaf springs engaging and flattening the resilient fabric against the edge of the relatively stiff core member 24, and the inwardly extended rolled portion 32 of the retaining members pressing against and flattening the resilient fabric on the back edge of the member I8 and extending inwardly to hook over the edge of the relatively stiif core -member 24 to thus securely retain the backing member I8 in assembled relation with the frame member I2.

In assembling the frame unit, after the glass and the photograph and other filler material have been placed in the recessed portion, the backing member is inserted in the recess against one of the retaining members 3G and pressed inwardly to expand the leaf springs outwardly and then the backing memberv is pressed in until the rolled portions 32 snap inwardly and hook 3 over the edge of the backing member to detachably retain the parts in assembled relation.

It will also be observed that the inwardly extended concavely curved frame portions 22 are provided with angularly extended inner edges 311 against which the glass I4 bears, the portions 22 also providing some resiliency so that the glass, photograph,cI andotherriillers/are resiliently retained in erecslsd portion of the frame member l2 between the flanged portions 22 and resilient retaining members 30 to tightly hold the parts in assembled relation and rmly resist detachment during ordinary handling and use. The backing member may be easily and quickly removed by slight pressure against .the front lf'a'ce of the glass I4 to snap the backing member v,H3 out ofthe grip of the retaining 'members 30. In the assembled frame unit, the rolled ends or hooks 32 of the retaining members press into the pileA fabric s0.. as to be s ub stantia1ly concealed l when viewed from ,the .front 4of the frame unit and are substantiallylrlush vwith the surrounding 'pile fabric ofthe `rear face ofthe l,backingy membrani-,8, In practice, therearface ofthe backing member may, have the 'usual ring attached thereto for yhanging the lframe on ya wall,or may be provided with an easel 'support for standing the framejon a table jor other surface. y

Ityvill be apparentthat the present invention herein shown as embodied in an oval Yshaped frame may beembodied in frames of other shapes with equal advantage.

While the preferred embodiment of the inventin lhas beenV herein illustrated and described, it

will,y be llmderstoodthatkthe invention may be :v

embcdiedin other-forms within the scope of the following claims.,v .l Y

` jl-laying thus described the invention, what is claimedis;

y 1. e. frame -iorrhowgraphsand lpictures comprising a sheet metal frame member having a rearwardiyextendedand relatively rigid rim porticn-a'ndinwardly 1curved extended flange portions defining an. open recessed portion 'in the baci;therecif,` anda backing member vreceived within said recessedjportionald lframe ,member being "provided with resilient metal retaining Zi O hooks extended rearwardly beyond said rim and engageable with the marginal edges of said backing member to detachably retain the parts in assembled relation, said backing member comprising a relatively rigid core member having a resilient covering material, the hook members compressing the adjacent portions of the covering material andl extending over the back edge of said rigid coremember. Y

2. A frame for photographs and pictures comp rising a, sheet metal frame member having a rearwardly extended and relatively rigid rim portion and an inwardly curved extended flange portion dening an open recessed portion in the back thereof, a plurality of inserts including a sheet of glass, a picture, and a backing member inserted into said recessed por-tion, said backing member comprising a relatively stiff core member having a resilient covering and being of a thickness such as to extend beyond the rear edge of the rim portion, and a pair of opposed and relatively narrow :dat spring' metal retaining members secured to and extended rearwardly from said rim portion and having their outer ends rolled inwardly to form hooks arranged t0 compress the adjacent portions of said resilient `covering and snap over the back edge of said rigid core member when the backing member is pressed into said recessed portion to resiliently and detachably retain the parts in assembled relation between said flanged portion and said retaining hooks. n

f GLEN P. WOODBURY.

References Cited Ain lthe file of lthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 539,318 Wanner May 14, 1895 890,357 Hasselbring June l9, 1908 1,338,4l4r1 Haley Apr, 27, 1920 1,794,034 `Russell Feb. 24, 1931 2,220,038 Kreisler Oct. 29, 1940 2,521,558 Alvarez Sept. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number y Country Date 150,369 Australia Aug. 10, 1937 781,082 France Y Feb. 18, i935 

